08/04/2026
A HUGE congratulations to all of the QKF America 250 Fund ($250,000) Awardees and an equally HUGE thank you to our donors for making it possible!
In honor of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the QKF America 250 Fund of $250,000 supports ten Black J.D. students who either: (1) lost, experienced reduced access to, or would likely have received scholarship or stipend support through race-conscious targeted legal education programs that were eliminated, restructured, or broadened following post-2024 anti-DEI legal and policy changes; or (2) have real funding gaps due to the new OBBBA rules.
These awards counter federal rollback action in the way our generous donors have allowed us to support Black students in the pursuit of law and justice in honor of the national ideals America strives to achieve.
Background: Since 2024, a growing number of race-conscious scholarship programs—including the ABA Legal Opportunity Scholarship and numerous university-based diversity scholarships have either been eliminated, suspended, or converted to race-neutral eligibility criteria amid litigation and regulatory pressure following the end of affirmative action with Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard (2023) and increasing pressure from the current administration to eliminate DEI programs.
Also, Graduate PLUS loans are ending for new borrowers. Historically, graduate and professional students could borrow:
up to $20,500/year in federal unsubsidized loans, plus
a Graduate PLUS loan to cover the remaining cost of attendance (tuition + living expenses).
Beginning July 1, 2026, new graduate students generally will no longer be eligible for Grad PLUS loans.
That matters because Grad PLUS loans were effectively an “unlimited” federal borrowing option for expensive programs like law, medicine, and many master’s programs.
We, and all these scholars, appreciate our donors who made this fund possible!